<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>A loss but a win by slof</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27091906">A loss but a win</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/slof/pseuds/slof'>slof</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Haikyuu!!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Flowershop Hanamaki, Fluff, Hanamaki and Yachi best friends because I said so, Idk tags tf, M/M, Math teacher Matsukawa, soft</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 05:47:15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,664</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27091906</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/slof/pseuds/slof</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A surprise for a kiss</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hanamaki Takahiro/Matsukawa Issei</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Matsuhana Fluff Week 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A loss but a win</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Flowers; sleeping in “How about a kiss?”</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>With his busy schedule, Issei didn’t tend to sleep in. Being a teacher was hard. There were assignments to grade, tests to make, week recaps he had to assess himself plus how much work they’d gotten done to know what to do next, then lesson plans to make after that. As a teacher now, Issei felt complete respect toward his former teachers. God knows they were working harder than anyone else. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Though today, Issei lazily slept in longer than he normally would. He laid out on both sides of the bed, flattened out like a starfish. Drool slipped from the corner of his mouth, tousled hair pressed against the pillowcase. With a groan, he turned in bed, rolling over to his husband’s empty side. His feet angled on the other side of the bed as he laid diagonally. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Finally, he blinked his eyes awake and turned on his back to face the ceiling. In the dark, he glanced up at the spinning panels of the fan. The thin, moving wood made a whooshing noise as it cut through the air, a cold breeze being sent through the room. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em> ‘Takahiro?’  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Issei sat up slowly, a hand placing on his forehead before he moved to push his hair back. He dug his palm into his eye with a yawn, taking a look around the room to see nothing but spots at first. That was until everything cleared, and he glanced around the darkened room of his shared bedroom. The curtains blocked the light from the sun that'd normally cast through the window, a thin, straight ray of light shining through the center where it was slightly parted open. He slowly began to make out all the objects in his room, the dresser at the front, the TV hanging on the wall, the outline of the closet doors.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He pulled himself to his feet from where he sat, a hand trailing up and under his shirt to scratch his stomach like an old man as he walked to the window. Pulling it open with his free hand, Issei squinted outside, blinded by the light but cursing under his breath since he knew he had to get used to it or he’d never leave the bedroom. He’d crawl right back into bed, close his eyes, fall into a mini coma and sleep for god knows how long. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Though he couldn’t, Issei had things to do, so he grabbed his phone and left the room.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He headed out into the kitchen, getting ready a hot cup of coffee. Tapping his pockets, Issei felt around for his phone. He pulled out the iPhone and dialed the most familiar number to him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>“Hello?”</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Hey.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>“Hey, you’re awake, sleepyhead.”</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“How long have you been up?” Issei asked as he leaned against the counter with a yawn. He crossed his arm, closing his eyes for a few seconds as he waited for a response.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><em>“A bit,”</em> the other replied. <em>“I woke up at six AM, you were out of it completely — hey, Token, could you put that over there?”</em>  He sighed. <em>“Anyway, sorry, but yeah, did you just wake up?”</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Mhm,” Issei hummed. “Also, you, Matsukawa Takahiro, have been awake since six AM?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p><em>“You have no faith in me, Issei.”</em> Takahiro sighed. <em>“You gonna get your sticky, gross paperwork done?”</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>“It’s not sticky or gross.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>“Math is gross.”</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“How do you calculate prices then?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p><em>“The cash register does that for me on its own, thank you very much.”</em> Takahiro let out a soft chuckle. <em>“Sorry I couldn’t take my day off on your day off. Yaku got a date, and for the first time in a few years, and the little guy has a shot. I couldn’t make him work. Considering I happen to be married, I had to let the guy get a chance.”</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Ooh,” Issei teased as he turned around. He clicked off the coffee pot and pulled down a cup from the cupboard. “Who’d you marry?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p><em>“Some tall hunk with a five day work week. Sexy teacher. He’s good with the kids, I found it cute, I swooned,”</em> Takahiro said. Even though Issei couldn’t see his face, he knew Takahiro well enough to know he was smiling widely. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Sounds nice.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p><em>“Mhm.”</em> Takahiro let out a laugh. <em>“I gotta get back, babe,”</em> he said, disappointed sounding but that was to be expected. <em>“Get some food in you, yeah?”</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Mm-hmm.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>“And get some work done, too, lazy.”</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I will.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>“I love you, ‘Sei.”</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I love you too.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The other end clicked, and with a sigh, Issei placed his phone on the counter. He stared down into the cup, looking at the black liquid with the steam that surfaced around the top, spilling over and out into the air. With another deep sigh, Issei poured one package of sugar in and made his way to the office in the house to crack into work. </p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Tapping his finger on the counter, Takahiro let out a sigh, and he let his head dip down, closing his eyes when his forehead hit the solid surface he leaned on. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You’re going to bruise your forehead, Taka.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Takahiro lifted his head. His eyes glanced at the blonde who moved across the room with a flowerpot in her hand. She placed it down on a table in front of the windows and wiped her forehead with the back of her hand.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Maybe I want to,” Takahiro muttered. He stood up straight and landed his eyes on the register. With another sigh, he began to get the register ready for the workday tomorrow. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You should’ve called in Atsumu or Tooru instead of coming in for Yaku today,” Hitoka said with a frown. She made her way to the counter on the other side of Takahiro, pulling on the fingers of the gardening gloves she wore to slip them off. “This is one of Issei’s two days off, one of them would’ve come in for you.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Yeah, I know Tooru could’ve,” Takahiro muttered as he counted the cash. "But it's his and Hajime's anniversary tomorrow so I wanted to give him the day before to get his shit together before they leave tomorrow." With a exhale through his nose, he fixed the cash so it was ready for tomorrow and slipped the money made in an envelope. “And then Atsumu also had something with Sakusa. My best friend’s boyfriend’s twin or not, I don’t want to pull him away from spending time with someone who he has been pining for since day one from a high school volleyball camp—“ Takahiro looked up in thought as he sealed the envelope, he muttered numbers and counted under his breath. “Like, ten years.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Good point,” Hitoka said, relieving a sigh. “Well, at least you’ll have all Sunday with him.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“If he finished grading papers and making lesson plans today,” Takahiro called out as he made his way into the back office. He set the money in the safe and locked it, listening to the clicking as it locked. When he made his way back into the main room, Hitoka stared down at her phone, though it wasn’t on. She dragged her fingernail along the case of her phone, and she looked up to Takahiro when she noticed him standing there, eyes scanning around the flowershop. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What?” She asked, and she turned her head to see what he was seeing. “Did I do something wrong?” Hitoka asked, worried.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“No, no, ‘course not, Token,” he quickly said. “You head home, actually. I want to do one thing before I leave.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Are you sure?” Hitoka asked, and Takahiro nodded, his eyes locked on the hanging planters in the shop. “Okay, don’t stay too long. I’m sure Issei misses you.” Takahiro chuckled, and still, his line of sight stayed on the plants.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Yeah, yeah, I got it, Token. Get home to your boyfriend.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Hitoka smiled and waved him goodbye, he waited until he heard the top of the door hit the bells and chime through the shop. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>When he was alone, Takahiro pulled his eyes away and walked further into the shop. He scanned the shelves of flowers, taking in the scent of them that sat in the air, observing the beauty of the colors that sat with each other. With one deep breath, Takahiro got to work.</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>The noise of the front door closing shot Issei awake. He sat up quickly at his desk, a pen sticking to his face, papers fell to the floor. Searching around by slapping the desk, Issei searched for his phone, yet he couldn’t find it. Eventually, he gave up and stood before heading out of his office to the living room. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>He looked into the hallway and noticed his husband. A hand was behind his back as the other one stuck his fingers in the back of his shoes, tugging on them to pull it off. He looked up at Issei, smiling when he made eye contact with him. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Hey, babe,” Takahiro said as he made his way over, still a jacket on his shoulders that he didn’t have the time to take off before Issei popped his head in the hallway. “You got a red mark on your face,” he commented while dragging a line down his own cheek, a grin on his face as he still held his hand behind his back. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What are you holding?” Issei asked. “Behind your back.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Close your eyes.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Hiro, if I close my eyes, I might fall asleep standing.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Takahiro laughed. He put a hand on Issei’s shoulder, leaning up and pressing one quick, soft kiss to Issei’s lips. Against his lips, Takahiro grinned. “Just close them, would you? I’ll promise I’ll catch you if you fall," he said.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Ooh, romantic.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Issei.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Okay, okay.” The math teacher let his eyes close. “Alright.” He waited standing there, and Issei thought he was going to just quietly slip away and leave him there to stand like an idiot. That was a stupid stunt that Takahiro would pull.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Actually, Takahiro <em>had</em> done it before. It had been their last year of high school after their last game. Everyone had left the locker room, even Tooru and Hajime. They were packing up their things in silence when Takahiro told Issei to close his eyes. Issei thought he was going to kiss him, so he listened and shut his eyes. Though quietly, Takahiro gathered his things and left the locker room. When Takahiro had been taking too long, the former number two jersey opened his eyes to notice he was gone. Issei ran out of the locker room to see if he could catch Takahiro running down the hallway. Though, in that case, Takahiro had been waiting by the door, and he jumped Issei. <em>That</em> was the time that Takahiro kissed him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Though, abandoning him and leaving down the hallway wasn't what Takahiro decided to do this time. Issei felt Takahiro’s soft hand grab his, the cold fingers curl around his to unwrap them and flatten out his palm. There was something placed in his hand, and Issei wrapped his fingers around it, some paper crinkling in his touch.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What is that?” Issei asked.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Open your eyes now,” Takahiro spoke softly. Issei peeled his eyes open, his sight landing on whatever it was that Takahiro placed in his hand. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>A bouquet of flowers. It looked gorgeous. Reds in the center that faded out to oranges, and then soon the end shifted to yellows. He was sure there was a meaning behind the flowers, but Issei wouldn’t be able to pinpoint it. Nothing in his knowledge knew anything about flowers, yet being handed the bouquet, Issei still felt a tingling in his chest as if he knew. It was like seeing it, Issei could feel the meaning without actually knowing. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Most of then mean love and a lot of other sappy stuff,” Takahiro explained quickly. “It’s whatever, it’s cute — it’s supposed to be cute.” There was a warmth in his cheeks, Issei always thought that was cute. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Takahiro could dish it out, but he could never take it. He could always make the dumbest, dirtiest joke in existence and laugh it off then and there, but when Issei would reach over and lightly touch his cheek, Takahiro would turn a whole new shade. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“How about a kiss now?” Takahiro muttered. “My lips are getting cold.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Mhm? You really gave me a bouquet just to steal a kiss from me?” Issei asked with a grin. Takahiro smiled, hooking his fingers into the waistband of Issei’s sweats and pulling him closer. He reached up and placed his forehead to his, that soft look on his face that Issei remembered falling in love with — did he remember? </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>He knew it was when they were kids, he just didn’t know when it was specifically. Sometime during high school, Issei wasn’t sure if it the moment they first laid eyes on each other when they were standing in that gym in their first year. Their eyes had locked after Takahiro had made a funny joke and Issei snickered under his breath. Or maybe it was when Takahiro welcomed him back after the summer break time between their first and second year. Or possibly even the chance of it even being when in their third year when Takahiro had fallen asleep on his shoulder after hours of studying as they sat knee to knee on Issei's bedroom floor. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Though he was smacked in the face with it for sure the day of their last game when Issei saw the look of determination in his eye before the last play of the game began. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Hell, that was why he closed his eyes before Takahiro had tricked him before <em>actually</em> confessing.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Issei had fallen for him, that was obvious for him to see when he looked back through the years, he still wasn’t sure when no matter how many times he recapped. </p>
<p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p>“Yes, I did,” Takahiro stole him from his thoughts. “Am I going to get it or not?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Issei chuckled lowly, and he grabbed Takahiro’s cheek, pressing his lips against the others who hummed into it right away. Takahiro's eyes fluttered shut, an exhale through his nose on a sigh of relief. His fingers that hooked in Issei’s boxers slipped around to the back to draw himself closer. Slowly, Issei brought his free hand to Takahiro’s shoulder, slipping it between his t-shirt and jacket, pushing down the overcoat off his shoulders. He switched the flowers in his hand to slip off the other sleeve, moving it past his arms to fully pull it off of him. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“How about,” Issei began to say as he pulled away from Takahiro, leaving the other’s lips cold and wanting more, “you go take a shower while I figure out a quick dinner to make you?” Issei asked as he stepped away from him and set Takahiro’s jacket on the hooks. He headed back over to him, pressed a hand against his back, and pushed him to the hallway toward the bathroom. “Wash up, baby.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Mhm, I will.” Takahiro turned and put a quick kiss on his cheek. “I love you, and put those in water, will you?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I love you too, and I will,” Issei smiled. “Go now.” Takahiro gave a smile and wiggled his fingers in the air as a way to say goodbye before he disappeared into the hallway.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Issei smiled, and he found a vase, filled it with water, and placed the beautiful bouquet in it before setting it on the counter. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>So when did he fall in love with Takahiro? It was a mystery to him; a mystery to Takahiro; a mystery to their friends; a mystery to their families. It wasn’t as if he needed to know, Issei was fine with not knowing.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It felt like a lost, not knowing what started it all, but it still felt like a win, the ring wrapped around his finger. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Matsukawa Takahiro. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Issei smiled to himself.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He won. </p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>